Jurgen Klopp Says Mohamed Salah Should Have Been Higher in Ballon d’Or Ranking
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, has faulted Mohamed Salah’s position in the 2021 Ballon d’Or rankings, insisting that the player should have been “higher up.”
Speaking at a press conference last Tuesday, he said: “It is not in my hands. Is the Ballon d’Or a journalist’s vote? Then yeah, don’t ask me, it’s your fault.
“If you think he should be higher up, then you should convince your colleagues.
“You can give it to Lionel Messi for the career he has had, all these kind of things, but then don’t give it to Robert Lewandowski this time — so it’s quite tricky to win it at all. Mo definitely should have been higher up.”
On his part, Salah responded to journalists’ questions about his seventh position by a shake of head, a fit of laughter and a simple “I have no comment.”
The 29-year-old Egyptian winger was in sensational goalscoring form last season and scored an impressive 31 times in 52 appearances for Liverpool.
And Salah, who is considered one of the best players in the world right now, has carried over his scintillating form into the current Premier League campaign.
The Egypt captain’s sparkling form has led to him scoring 19 times in 19 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool.
Salah added to his goalscoring tally in the Premier League with a brace against Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
The Liverpool winger, who has scored 13 times in 14 league appearances this season, featured on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or.
However, Salah finished seventh in the Ballon d’Or rankings behind the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema and Jorginho.
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi lifted a record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or award on Monday ahead of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.
Speaking after Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Everton, Salah couldn’t hold back his laughter over his seventh-placed finish for the Ballon d’Or.
When asked why he was shaking his head, the former Chelsea and Roma player responded: “I have no comment.”
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